A group of intellectuals, as well as leaders of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), have over the past few days been holding protests outside the house of Amartya Sen at Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan in West Bengal’s Birbhum district.
The protests began on Saturday over a notice issued by the university to Mr. Sen, asking him to vacate part of the land on which his house ‘Partichi’ is built.
“The protests will continue till Rabindra Jayanti (May 9). While we are protesting against the disrespect to Amartya Sen. For the past four years, students and faculty members have been targeted by the Vice Chancellor of Visva Bharati and the protest is culmination of all such actions,” Minakshi Bhattacharya, a student leader associated with the TMC’s student wing, told The Hindu.
The protests, which began on May 5 (Friday), continued on Sunday (May 7), and are likely to continue till Rabindra Jayanti (birth anniversary celebration of Rabindranath Tagore on May 9). On Friday, a procession was held, which culminated at the house of the Nobel Laureate. On Saturday, prominent intellectuals, including painters like Shuvaprasanna and Jogen Chowdhury and singer Kabir Suman, participated in the sit-in demonstration outside Dr. Sen’s house. On Sunday, a demonstration under the banner of ‘Visva Bharati Bachao Committee (Committee to Save Visva Bharati)‘ was held at the same venue.
The protests and demonstrations continued despite the Calcutta High Court’s stay on the land dispute between Professor Sen and Visva Bharati University administration. The High Court on May 4 had directed the District Judge, Birbhum to hear the stay application on May 10, and added that, till then, the order of the University would not be enforced.
Mamata’s direction
Leaders of the Trinamool Congress, including Bolpur MLA and State Minister Chandranath Sinha, have been participating in the protests. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had directed her party leaders to organise a protest at Visva Bharati over the issue relating to Prof Sen. On May 5, the Chief Minister had dared the university administration to go ahead with vacating 13 decimals of land, which is part of the land on which Professor’s Sen’s house ‘Partichi’ is built. Earlier this year, in January 2023, Ms. Banerjee met the economist and expressed her support to him, and handed him documents relating to the land on which his house has been built.
Political significance
The house is built over 1.38 acres of land and the university is claiming that 13 decimals (0.13 acre) of the land belongs to the institution. Professor Sen had pointed out that the 1.38 acres of land was given for a lease of 99 years to his father Ashutosh Sen in October 1943. On April 19,the Visva Bharati University administration issued an order asking Amartya Sen to vacate within 15 days the 13 decimals of land, which according to it is under the “illegal occupation” by the economist. Professor Sen is currently not in India and is like to return to Visva Bharati in June 2023.
The development assumes political significance not only because the TMC leadership has extended support to Professor Sen but also because all political parties are trying to appropriate the legacy of Rabindranath Tagore. Union Home Minister Amit Shah is likely to visit the State in May and participate in an event to observe Rabindra Jayanti in Kolkata.
